One of the toughest things I do every year is go back and pick my ten favorite photos from the previous year. It’s always interesting to see how my opinion of what I’ve shot has changed over time. Some photos, when shooting them I thought, “Wow, amazing.” But later they lost that power over me. Still others I wasn’t excited about at the time, but have grown to appreciate since then. And finally, the older I get, the more “moment” has an impact on what I consider my best – not just what I shot, but what was happening at the time. So if you haven’t done it yet, take a few hours, start digging, and come up with your own ten. Here are mine, with the stories behind them. Enjoy.
Last February I was teaching Nikon School in Arizona, and after class one afternoon the other instructor and I decided to visit a local park. While we were there, wandering the trails, I got a call from my sister. Our mother had passed away. She’d had a wonderful, long life, and had always loved the outdoors. I couldn’t think of a better place to be when getting that call. A bit later there was a beautiful sunset, and I settled in at a spot where people were stopping to enjoy it. When this woman walked up and raised her arms, I knew I didn’t just have a picture, but a moment that would stay with me forever. Nikon D5300, Aperture Priority, ISO of 200, shutter speed of 1/60 at f/5.6, with exposure compensation at -1.3, Nikon 16-85mm f/3.5-5.6 lens at 20mm. Copyright Reed Hoffmann.
I’ve got a good friend in Kansas City who owns several optical shops (Leon Butler, Brookside Optical), and I occasionally do photography for him. On this shoot, one of the models had terrific energy, and when she flipped her hair during a break, I saw the photo I wanted to make. It took a bunch of tries, but we finally got the shot I envisioned. Nikon D800, Aperture Priority, ISO of 200, shutter speed of 1/200 at f/5, Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8 lens at 65mm. Photo copyright Reed Hoffmann.
I lead trips to South America every year, alternating between Peru (Machu Picchu) and Ecuador (Galapagos). So last spring we were in a small town in Peru, visiting the market and just wandering around. I walked by a small shop and saw these two men inside, drinking chicha (corn beer). The light was great and their faces were great, so I just had to go back and ask if they’d mind. They were happy to let me shoot, and I got a slice of life from Peru. I particularly like the posters behind them. Nikon D5300, Aperture Priority, ISO of 640, shutter speed of 1/25 at f/4, with exposure compensation at -1.3, Nikon 16-35mm f/4 lens at 17mm. Photo copyright Reed Hoffmann.
After teaching Nikon School in Seattle last spring, the other instructor and I stayed an extra day to drive out to Rainier National Park. Being early May it was still officially winter on the mountain, so there weren’t many people there and about 3-ft of snow where the road ended. But my favorite shots came from lower down, where the area is incredibly lush from all the water. The tree at right, with its white bark, makes the picture. Nikon D800, Manual exposure, ISO 100, 15-seconds at f/10, EV -1.0, Nikon 50mm f/1.8 lens. Photo copyright Reed Hoffmann.
Almost every year I lead a trip to Africa, and in 2014 we went to southern Tanzania to visit some different areas. Our truck was late to the kill made by a pride of lions, so they were done eating and just lying around. With nothing else to do, we waited. After a while they got up, stretched, walked over and climbed into a tree, which is pretty unusual. And it was right at sunset. Bingo! Sadly, we could only stay about 15-minutes, because the trucks have to be back to camp by dark. But what a 15-minutes! On every trip to Africa, there are several amazing moments, and this was definitely one of them. Nikon D7100, Aperture Priority, ISO 250, 1/200 at f/5, EV 0.0, Nikon 24-120mm f/4 lens at 55mm. Photo copyright Reed Hoffmann.
Last summer I led a trip to Glacier National Park for Mentor Series, and part of the time was spent at the North American Indian Days in Browning. It was my second time there for that event, which offers amazing photo opportunities. This little girl was taking a break from the festivities in the dance ring. Nikon D800, Aperture Priority, ISO 160, 1/50 at f/5, EV -1.3, Nikon 16-35mm f/4 lens at 25mm. Photo copyright Reed Hoffmann.
In August of last year I took a group to Ireland (again for Mentor Series), and the island was just as beautiful as everyone says. This was a spot we had passed by earlier while heading out to shoot, and I just about had to put the driver in a headlock to get him to stop on the way back. He was a big guy, but it was worth it! Nikon D610, Aperture Priority, ISO 100, 10-seconds at f/22, EV -1.0, Nikon 24-120mm f/4 lens at 58mm. Photo copyright Reed Hoffmann.
The last place we stayed in Ireland was an old castle, and late that afternoon, during a break, I decided to go for a walk on the grounds. What I found was horses and dogs leading a wedding party to the castle. I just knelt down in the middle of the dogs and let them swarm around me. Nikon D610, Aperture Priority, ISO 200, 1/640 at f/5, EV -0.7, Nikon 16-35mm f/4 lens at 16mm. Photo copyright Reed Hoffmann.
Bhutan is relatively new to tourism, and a country of incredibly friendly and outgoing people. That makes it a natural for a photo trip, so I went there last October leading a group for Pack Paddle Ski. I found this scene at a monastery, minus the person, and waited. And waited, and waited, and waited… Eventually a monk came along carrying tea for dinner. I’ve always loved photos with a lot of darkness in them, and so regularly shoot with a lot of –EV (minus exposure compensation). Nikon D810, Aperture Priority, ISO 200, 1/800 at f/9, EV -1.3, Nikon 16-35mm f/4 lens at 16mm. Photo copyright Reed Hoffmann.
Late last year I was in San Diego teaching a workshop for Best Buy. We’d hired some models to shoot in the Japanese Gardens, and I just thought Ayo had the most amazing skin. So I shot her in the shade and used one of my favorite lenses, the 50mm 1.8, nearly wide open. Nikon D750, Aperture Priority, ISO 250, 1/320 at f/2, EV -0.7, Nikon 50mm f/1.8 lens. Photo copyright Reed Hoffmann.